A GRANDFATHER threatened a taxi driver with a knife after being spotted trying car doors.

Bolton Crown Court heard how 59-year-old Terence Naylor, together with another man, was spotted in Boundary Street, Halliwell, by taxi driver Mohammed Ali at 5am on May 29 last year.

Duncan Wilcock, prosecuting, told how, when Mr Ali saw the pair at his car, he got dressed and went outside to confront them.

On Tennyson Street he caught up with them but Naylor’s accomplice denied they had been touching the vehicle.

“At that point this defendant started to mess about with his right sleeve and pulled out a kitchen knife,” said Mr Wilcock.

“Mr Ali backed off and the defendant rushed towards him.

“He then lunged at him with the knife.”

Naylor made racial remarks and walked away, but Mr Ali followed the men to a flat in Claremont Court.

Naylor pulled out the knife again and lunged at his victim. Police were called and Naylor was arrested.

In a victim statement read out in court, Mr Ali said: “This incident has really upset me.

“To give me racist abuse is completely uncalled for and to then pull a knife on me has left me scared.”

The court heard how a summons for the offence was only sent to Naylor in February this year and he was remanded in custody after he failed to attend court in July.

Naylor, of King Street, Bradshaw, pleaded guilty to making threats with a knife and racially aggravated threatening behaviour and told Judge Richard Gioserano: “Sorry, I’m getting far too old for this.”

Andrew Evans, defending, told the judge that Naylor, who has a lengthy criminal record and a habitual drug addiction dating back to the 1970s, had stayed out of trouble for more than four years but slipped back to using drugs after the death of several family members, including his son.

He added that he is stopping taking drugs again as his children have banned him from seeing his four grandchildren.

“His intention is to be a decent grandfather to his grandchildren,” said Mr Evans.

Judge Gioserano sentenced Naylor to 12 months in prison.

He told Naylor that he accepted the defendant has made efforts to stay out of trouble and give up drugs.

But he added that the knife confrontation “must have been a very frightening experience” for Mr Ali and only a custodial sentence can be justified.